EngLits: Henry IV, part II by InterLingua Publishing

Author:InterLingua Publishing
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: InterLingua Educational Publishing
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Act IV, Scene ii

In another part of the Gaultree Forest, where Prince John’s soldiers are chasing the fleeing troops we find Falstaff, who has at last reached the battlefield. He comes face to face with the dashing knight, Sir John Coleville, a fleeing rebel and both prepare to fight, but on recognizing Falstaff, a frightened Coleville, who is under the false impression that Falstaff is an adept warrior, surrenders. Prince John is visible along with Westmoreland, who on spotting Falstaff rebukes him for arriving so late and warns him that if he does not rectify his behavior, he will be sent to the gallows. Falstaff apologizes with ridiculous excuses and proudly presents his prisoner, boasting his achievement of capturing such a dangerous knight as Coleville in a dramatic fashion: “I came, saw and overcame”, which the Prince ignores. Westmoreland delivers the news that the rebels have either been killed or captured and that the royal army is no longer pushing ahead. Coleville is sent along with the other captives for execution. Prince John then decides to return to the court of London to attend to his father, who he hears is seriously ill. He orders that the news of their victory, which will be so comforting to his sick father, the King, should reach him much before their arrival. Falstaff pleads for leave, which the Prince grants.

After the Prince departs, Falstaff says to himself that the cold Prince John hardly laughs and is devoid of joy because he never drinks wine. Men like him eat too much fish, become anemic, and can only produce female offspring. He then praises the effects of alcohol saying it clears the head, sharpens the wit, and strengthens courage. He adds that it is wine that has given Prince Hal his zeal. Although he inherited the same, cold, royal blood that his brother has, he cultivated it with strong drink. After his speech, he decides to visit his old friend, Justice Shallow in Gloucestershire and borrow some money from him.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.